NHRA Pro Stock driver Shane Gray and his Gray Motorsports have formed a partnership with Richard
Freeman's Elite Performance and Nick Ferri for the 2013 season of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing
Series and beyond. Ferri will assume the role of head engine builder for Gray Motorsports as the
two entities continue to operate individually while sharing information and experience gathered
through respective R&D programs.

Gray Motorsports, established in 2009 by Gray's father, veteran drag racer Johnny Gray, is anchored
by a state-of-the-art facility just outside of motorsports hotspot Charlotte, N.C., and is fully
equipped to develop a top of the line program geared towards winning NHRA championships in the
extremely competitive Pro Stock category.

Late last year, Freeman's Elite Performance, along with established engine builder Ferri, acquired
JNR Racing Engines, a business that Ferri helped build and where he led the JNR Mopar program with
Roy Simmons in 2012. Ferri began a career in drag racing in 1986, and his extensive efforts have
contributed to multiple Pro Stock world championships.

"You know, it just makes sense," said Gray. "We have a lot invested in the Gray Motorsports
in-house engine program, and we are in no way looking to give up what we've already accomplished.
But to move forward and strengthen our program, we felt it would be a wise decision to form a
partnership with Richard and Nick where we can all benefit.

"This is not a situation where we are leasing engines; we're in this with a more long-term
approach. We will continue our R&D efforts at the Gray Motorsports shop in Denver, N.C., and Elite
Performance will continue R&D at their engine shop located in Oklahoma, and we look forward to what
we will all be able to accomplish together."

In 2010, his first season competing in the category, Gray qualified in the top half of the field at
12 events and won the season-ending NHRA Finals in Pomona. The following year, the developing
driver added another trophy to the collection with a win in Topeka. Now, with solid experience in
the category and an emphasized intention of achieving top-level performance with their own in-house
engine program, Gray believes that joining forces with Elite Performance will effectively help them
achieve their goal.

Freeman, head of Elite Performance and its sister company, Elite Motorsports, will be devoted to
Gray's program for all 24 events on the Mello Yello Series tour and also move forward with a
commitment to provide engines to Pro Stock returner Rickie Jones for 10 NHRA races in 2013.

Freeman explained that Gray Motorsports will continue R&D on the DRCE-3 engine that they have run
in the past but will begin the season with a DRCE-2 complemented by CFE Racing Products from Carl
Foltz. Throughout the year, the group will collectively continue to assess which engine is most
effective.

"Everything that happens in the Gray Motorsports engine shop and everything that happens at Elite
Performance will be shared," Freeman confirmed. "What this will do is give Shane the opportunity to
really focus on just driving the car. I've been friends with the Gray family for a long time, and
I'd like nothing more than to see Shane succeed."

Ferri agreed, saying, "We know it's going to take a little while to get up on our feet, but with
the experience that we bring to the table and the resources provided by Gray Motorsports, we feel
that we can accomplish what we set out to do. Our goal is to be in the top 10 by the time we get to
the U.S. Nationals in Indy and run for the championship."

The partnership is already proving positive as the two groups tested their combined forces at a
recent test session in Florida.

"We definitely like what we see," said Gray. "There is a lot of potential. We're taking this year
to really get everything in order and like Nick said, we think we can situate ourselves in the top
10. But next year, that's when we'll be expecting to really run hard."